A Young Spanish Lass
by Smiju
Summary: Bootstrap has daughter who sailed on the Pearl for years and had a thing with Jack. Now she's back with Jack but the Turner siblings have a clash of wills as they all try to save the world and figure out how and with whom to spend the rest of their lives.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: If I owned Pirates I would live in Disneyworld … unfortunately that's not happening… so I'm stealing their characters and forcing them to do my will.. mwahahahaha….**

**Author's Note: Excuse my sad attempts at forming Spanish sentances… I have very limited knowledge of the language, I don't know why I tortured myself by making a half Spanish character… but eventually she speaks mostly English… that I can do much better…. Anyway, enjoy this very short introductory chapter….**

Her mother had died of some sort of disease (that's what you get for being a loose woman), but not before she'd gotten word to the seafaring lover that had impregnated her seven years before. And so, heroically, the child's father sails to the rescue.

That was the way Bootstrap told it later anyway. 12 year old Jack hadn't known about those details when he was keeping watch below decks. But the girl fell asleep and started making noises. The older boy searched her out and was about to cry 'stowaway' when a big hand covered his mouth.

"I brought her on board," a familiar low voice whispered. Jack was released and he turned to face Bill Turner in utter shock. "I had to. She hasn't got anyone else, and I'm not about to let my daughter live out on the streets."

"Your…daughter?" That's funny, she didn't look anything like her father.

"Yes, my daughter. I left her where you would find her on purpose. I want you to help me keep track of her. She doesn't speak English and from what her mother's told me she's not a calm or quiet little girl."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"I want you to help her Jack. She's more likely to listen to you than she is an old man like me, father or not."

"But…" Ok so there weren't really any excuses, he just didn't want to be saddled with a little girl. He was practically a man now, ready to take on more dangerous jobs on the ship. How was he supposed to do that with a girl tagging along? "Fine, I'll help, but you'll owe me Bill, you'll owe me a lot!"

The man chuckled at his young companion. "That I will Jack."

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Her name was Josephina, but her father had started calling her Josey. That much had been established just after Bootstrap woke the girl up. Now she sat on a barrel staring at Jack. It wasn't even a normal girl-stare. It was kind of angry looking, like she didn't trust him, and it was making him uncomfortable. So he made a face at her. She raised an eyebrow, nearly unaffected by his taunt. But she suddenly jumped down and tried to dart past him. Jack was able to catch her around the waist and hoist her back up onto the barrel.

"No no no no no… If the…" he sighed and realized he needed to at least try to speak to her in Spanish. But he had to use gestures to get his point across even to himself. "El capitan es muy…muy mean and… he will hurt …tu… if he find you."

He had given a neck-slicing motion when he said hurt and she kind of caught on. "El capitan esta un muchacho mal?"

"SI!" Jack said far to enthusiastically. "Yes, the captain is very bad," let her think that, then she'd avoid him…. "A very bad man indeed. So… I am going back to work now… you stay…right there… don't move… I'll be back later…"

"Por que el muchacho mal esta capitan?"

The boy slapped his hand against his forehead. Bootstrap would never be able to do enough to repay him for putting up with this nonsense.


	2. The Start of It All

_**Disclaimer: If I owned pirates I would not be writing fan fiction... don't sue me, I have no money anyway**_

_**Author's Note: SO... I finally had some brain flow on this one... which is good because it's the one that's been stuck in my head for the past two weeks... lets see how far I can get before the flow dies... Here's one chapter, I'm hoping another one will pop up by the end of the week... Enjoy!! **_

**(Second Note: This has been reposted because someone complained that it was all in bold, sorry, that wasn't intentional, I just wasn't paying attention...)**

A year after being brought on board, young Josey spoke enough English to have conversations with her father and Jack. But they were having continuous trouble trying to keep her in hiding. She was curious and kept sneaking around. Not only that, but she required increasing amounts of food. As it was she was all skin and bones. Living on the scraps from the kitchen was certainly not going to work much longer.

Jack was trying to come up with new ways to solve this problem when an alarm was raised up on deck. Naturally curious he told Josey to stay where she was (sitting on the floor contented with the sketching paper and pencils her father had managed to present her with) while he went to see what was wrong. He was sure it was something to do with another ship, but he wasn't going to wait until the last minute to find out.

And he was very glad he didn't wait. A rather large ship was headed straight for them, Jolly Roger flying high. Bill pulled his young friend aside and commanded him to put the little girl below in the brig where she should be safe (as long as they won the battle). Jack rushed to do so, not wanting to miss any of the fighting, but the girl was gone. Wide eyed in panic the young man scrambled this way and that. At first he called out her name in a loud whisper, but as he grew more frantic he started to shout. After one such outburst a cannon ball slammed against the side of the ship.

Finding the girl was going to have to wait.

Running back up on to the deck Jack received an order that involved helping with sails which he eagerly ran to carry out. The older men were preparing for battle already, they were no match for their attackers from afar. Now it was up to sheer manpower to secure their victory. All the boys were up in the rigging now, out of the way but with a good view of the battleground.

The enemy was starting to pull up beside them now, and the first few brave souls were swinging over to their ship. Those stupid fools fell to pistol shots, mostly from the boys above them. It got very jumbled up on deck after that. Clashing, screaming, and the constant cracks of guns and even a few cannon shots. Jack was enthralled with the fighting men, until something much smaller caught his eye.

"Josey!" He had screamed her name, trying to catch her attention, to warn her to stay below, but there was no way she could hear him above everything else. Knowing that the girl was too sheltered and innocent to know what was really going on, Jack made the quick decision to slide down from his relatively safe roost and 'rescue' her.

He was quick enough to avoid having to draw his sword as he dashed to the stairwell that the girl was coming out of. He threw his arm around her waist and dragged her, screaming, back to where he was supposed to have put her in the first place. But as he entered the room he noticed two strange men coming in from the other side.

"Oh bugger," he cursed. He had no choice but to put down the little girl and draw his weapon. The men laughed. Honestly, what could a 13 year old boy do to two grown pirates? But they were about to be shown just how wrong their assumptions were. He was smaller and weaker, but he was also faster and smarter. By the time they had made it halfway to him he drew his pistol and shot one man in the head. While the other watched his comrade fall dead, he was run through by the boy.

Sheathing his sword, Jack then looked frantically for the girl he had again lost track of. But she hadn't gone far this time. She was wide eyed, terrified, but still curious enough to be walking toward the fallen men.

"No, bad idea," Jack started toward her with every intention of snatching her up again and finally throwing her in the brig. But to the shock of them both, the man he had run through was not quite dead. Actually, he wasn't at all dead. He had the strength to snatch up the little girl and hold his sword to her neck.

Luckily for Josey she really had no idea what was going on. All she knew was that some strange man was holding her and she didn't want to be held. She kicked and wriggled and cursed at him in Spanish. She managed to slip down far enough in his arm so that she could get a good bite on him. He reflexively released her and Jack lunged to pull her away but she had turned to retaliate and the man caught her by the throat before her protector could get to her. He began to squeeze, choking her with ease. Jack started pulling out his sword but a pistol shot rang out from behind him, scaring him half to death. When he realized he was still alive, and that it was Josey's attacker who had taken the bullet he finally turned to see who had come to their rescue.

His face paled instantly as he saw his own father standing in the doorway. The one man they had been trying to hide this little girl from had just saved her life.

Speaking of saving her life! Her spluttering cough suddenly registered in his mind and he looked back to see if she was really going to be alright. He reached out a hand to her, but she ignored it and threw her arms desperately around his middle instead. She stayed pressed against him for a moment before noticing that he was distracted. She followed his gaze and, gasping at the sight of the strange men, leapt behind Jack for safety. This man was twice the size of Jack, he was bigger than her father even, and she had had enough of scary men for one day.

"Quien es el?" she whispered the question up at her guardian in the most timid voice he had ever heard from her mouth. (who is he?)

"The Captain," he replied, lowering his arm to protect her even more. For the first time she did not look around him or even ask any more questions. Her curiosity had been frightened out of her.

Now some of the other crew members were gathering in the room. It wasn't long before Bootstrap uncertainly stepped to the front of the crowd. He had seen Jack while he was walking in, but it wasn't until the others stepped aside that he spotted his daughter.

"How long has she been on the ship?" The captain asked his son. There was no sign of anger in the man, but that was nothing new. He rarely revealed his emotion.

"More than a year," Bootstrap stepped up next to Jack, providing even more of a barricade between the larger man and the little girl. "It was my idea. She is my daughter, I had every intention of leaving her in Tortuga the next time we stopped, but we headed to England and I didn't have the chance."

Jack knew the man was lying. He may have been a pirate, but Bill Turner didn't have the heart to leave his child in that hellhole of a town all alone.

"I dragged Jack into it because I thought he could keep better track of her, but she's sharper than we figured her for."

"And yet you have managed to hide her for a year."

"Aye." Jack butted in. "Apologies, Captain, but we didn't know what else to do with her."

"Where has she been staying?"

"In ... the cargo hold." Jack started wondering mid sentence why the man cared where the little stowaway had been sleeping.

The captain shifted his gaze, and both of the girls protectors then realized that she was peaking out from between them. She in turn noticed the captain's gaze and ducked back with another gasp.

The large man motioned his subordinates to step aside. Bootstrap did so, realizing if he were to get in to any more trouble it could be the end of him. Jack wasn't quite so quick to give up. He stayed put, his arm reaching back to keep the little girl near him. But the captain stepped forward.

"Get out of me way, boy."

Still Jack ignored the command. Shaking his head, the captain stood silently for a moment and then looked over at Bootstrap. "Two days in the brig, no food, no water." He commanded. Some of the men moved forward to carry out the command and Bootstrap stepped into the cell without a fuss. "As for you," Jack stepped back a little in fear. "Five lashes," it was commanded. "Now step aside now, or it'll be five more for insubordination."

"Come on Jack," Bootstrap urged, "it's over."

Hanging his head, the boy slowly shifted from standing in front of the girl to standing beside her. She was terrified and tried to follow behind him, but he pushed her back in front of the captain.

Before anything else the large man looked over at the rest of the crew. "We best be well on our way to Tortuga by the time I'm through down here." They all scrambled out of the room. When they had gone, their commander made a gesture that dropped his son's jaw to the floor. He knelt down on one knee in front of the girl and lifted her chin to look her in the eyes. She continued shaking in fear but did not try to look away. This brought a rare smile to the man's face. "What's your name, girl?"

Both Jack and Josey were prepared to answer for her, but she beat them to it. "Josephina Maria Turner." It was nearly spat at the man, an act of insubordination that would have been punished in any other human being. But this girl was young and her innocence was refreshing to the pirate.

After quietly repeating her name he nodded. "What have you been doing all this time?"

"Nada," she answered quickly. "Es muy aburido."

Her wit completely enchanted the captain. "That is a problem easily solved," he told her before standing up. She was confused, not quite understanding what he had said, but it didn't matter. He turned to the girl's caged father now. "She's too much like you to be any good in Tortuga, mate. We'll be better off giving her lessons on how to be a pirate. She needs to learn to protect herself, if nothing else."

Just then the first mate stepped in to the room. "Captain," he dipped his head respectfully. "Shouldn't we be givin' young Sparrow his lashes?" he asked, all too eagerly.

"Aye," the man turned to his son. "Show him what happens when you keep secrets from the captain, Mr. Barbossa."

"Aye, Captain."

Jack struggled against the first mate's grip but, after a warning glance form the captain, stopped. Josey tried to run after him but the captain stopped her. She fought a little, but Bootstrap scolded her. Just as she was calming down the large man holding her back suddenly lifted her and tossed her over his shoulder.

This time Bootstrap couldn't blame her for fighting. "Teague, what are ya doing?!"

The captain turned to give an explanation to the worried father, though he had every right to ignore the question. "I told you she'd be better off as a pirate. She'll be under my charge now. You have nothing to worry about. I promise you no harm will come to your daughter aboard this ship."

"What are you gonna do with her?"

The captain gave a final smirk when he realized the other man's fear. "She's too young for that, Turner. I promise you she won't be harmed, by me or any other man."

And with that he carried the kicking and screaming girl out of the room.


	3. Fortunes and Fate

_**Disclaimer: If I owned pirates I would not be writing fan fiction... don't sue me, I have no money anyway**_

_**Author's Note: Yay more pirates... so this one starts tying the plot in with events that are at least talked about in the movies. Hope you enjoy...**_

Josey peered excitedly out the window, watching the bustling tower they were about to go out to. At 10 she was old enough to know that something big was happening here, but she was young enough that she did not quite understand. She had gotten the part about a meeting of a court, and something about a Calypso, whatever that was.

The door to the captain's cabin opened, First Mate Barbossa stepped in. "Captain, the boats are ready."

Teague scribbled one more thing on the paper in front of him before silently rising. Barbossa left the door open as he prepared all on deck for the entrance of the captain. Josey hurried over to her teacher, eager for this new adventure. As they boarded the longboats the captain stood at the head of theirs, looking very regal and very much in charge. The young girl watched him closely, full of nothing but admiration for the man. She barely noticed when Jack hopped down into the same boat and sat beside her. Teague did notice however and turned to address his son.

"Keep an eye on the girl, lad. This is no place for her to be alone."

"Aye Cap'n." He nodded and kept his head turned away from the girl for a moment, toying with her. But a smirk crept across his lips and he finally looked over at her. This was something they were both used to by now. No place was safe for the girl as far as Teague was concerned. He protected her as if she were his own child.

They pulled up to the dock, jumped out and made it as far as the step off in to the street before Josey stopped. As a growing girl, there was little sense in trying to keep her in a pair of boots. But it was awfully muddy and disgusting in the street. Smirking, Jack turned around and allowed her to jump up on to his back, something he was quite used to doing in situations such as this.

Teague waited for them at the entrance to the fortress, where he forbade their entrance. "Why don't you go in to town for the day? We'll send for you when the meeting's over."

Jack and Josey both sighed, knowing they were being kept out of something much more interesting than an old marketplace. But neither of them was about to go against the captain so they turned back down the path. The crowded streets did have their perks. Lots of vendors (especially female ones) were willing to give hand outs to the scrawny little girl (which she of course shared with Jack, who she playfully called "Mi Caballo" (my horse) as she petted his head). He rolled his eyes, quite embarrassed, but accepted her gifts eagerly. They were looking for a place to sit and digest their many snacks when a dark skinned woman with dreadlocks came up to them. "Come," she beckoned them to a dark tent. Jack hesitated, but Josey leaned forward, curious (as always).

"I suppose you want me to follow her?"

"Si!" she said all too enthusiastically.

And he did, pushing aside the tent flap to find a small room full of knickknacks and treasures, illuminated only by a few candles. The woman was sitting at a small circular table in the center, shuffling a bunch of large cards. She motioned them to sit in the chairs across the table from her. "Sit."

Jack let the anxious Josey hop to the floor while he more cautiously stepped up to the table. "What's this all about?"

The woman smiled, a creepy sight, and pulled a card from the deck. "What kind of boy does not like to hear his fortune?"

"The one wary of strange women," Jack replied.

"Oh," she looked up at him, "there is not'ing to be afraid of, Jack Sparrow."

Horrified that she somehow knew his name, Jack turned to tell Josey they were leaving, but the girl was fascinated with the woman's trick and ignored him.

The mysterious woman laid down the card she had pulled, followed by a few more. When she had revealed all those necessary she looked over at the girl looked ready to burst with anticipation. She had no idea what was going on, but she knew it was the most interesting thing she'd seen in months.

"Your fate is harsh, little one." She began, staring the girl straight in the eye. Jack shifted nervously and the woman glanced up at him before looking back at the cards and then at the girl. "Some women love many t'ings, some love none... you... you have three loves in your future, and your loyalty to the first will tear you from the others."

The dramatic tone of her voice had Josey looking a little scared now, and Jack protectively reached to pull her away from the nonsense, but she yanked herself from his grip and stared at the fortune teller, begging for more.

"You're family... your blood... that is who you cannot betray. Of the others, I can only say this: The first to harm you is the one that truly loves you in return."

At the thought of any harm coming to his young charge Jack began to get tense. No one was going to harm her while he and their fathers were around. And who was this woman to say anything about who the girl fell in love with. That was just ... poppycock.

"Now... Jack," the woman motioned him to sit. "For you..." she pulled out something different, a bag of something that she prepared to pour out on to the table.

The young man stepped forward but did not sit down. He listened to the strange incantation the woman muttered and watched the objects scatter over the table. Looking at them, and then back at the woman Jack raised an unconvinced eyebrow. "They're rocks..."

She smiled up at him, entertained by his disbelief in her work, and waved her hands slowly over the spilled rocks without breaking eye contact.

"Many great adventures are waiting for you, but many trials as well."

That was so generic that Jack actually found it annoying. "Oh is that all," he brushed off sarcastically.

Undauntedly she continued. "Everyone you love will suffer for you, but to repay them will cost you much."

That was unhelpful as well. "Josey," Jack suddenly blurted out, "let's go."

When they had disappeared out in the busy street the fortune teller chuckled to herself. "Something... funny?" someone asked quietly, stepping up behind her. Her smile broadened as she turned.

"My love," she reached a hand out to touch his face before pulling something out of a drawer beside her. A small silver heart, which she opened to reveal the tune it played. She could not tell that the familiar sound was nearly deafening to the broken hearted man.

"I have something to show you as well," he lied, holding her hand in his own. "Come with me."

...

Jack had managed to finagle a pair of boots off of a merchant for far less than they should have cost. Apparently the man couldn't stand seeing a little girl with sad eyes and a puckered lip (sometimes Jack felt sorry for using the girl, but it was just so darn useful!). Now she didn't have to ride on his back any more which was good for his body, but bad for his mind. Now he had to keep track of the curious kid. But it didn't take long for her to run up and down the marketplace three times and decide that there was nothing else of interest. So Jack decided that it couldn't hurt to head back toward the fortress. Even if they ended up back on the dock with their feet in the water it would be more interesting than the vendors they'd seen over and over for the past three hours.

While they were technically only a few paces from the taller "building" they had to wind their way down the spiraled streets of the second, smaller section of Shipwreck Cove toward the bridge that would get them across the gap. The bright side of this was that their deliberate course was keeping the girl moving in a single direction. She was a lot easier to keep track of that way.

Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks. Jack ran in to her so hard he nearly flipped right over her shoulders but she paid him no attention. She started leaning over the railing, staring down at the bridge. Jack peered over as well and asked "what are we looking at?"

She pointed, obviously at a loss for words, and her friend quickly understood why. The fortuneteller they had just left was walking toward the main fortress on the arm of a rather large man who appeared to be a sailor. Jack lost interest and started turning away, but Josey pulled him back and pointed again. They were going through the same door that Captain Teague and the others had gone through. Under normal circumstances this would not have been suspicious, but if there was a meeting of the Brethren Court then no one should have been entering that door.

The young man sighed, knowing very well that he and Josey were about to get themselves in to a lot of trouble. But they couldn't help it. And besides, he could blame it all on her and they'd get away with it because Teague adored the girl.

"Come on," he commanded, "I know another way in. If we're careful no one will notice us." He started sneaking his way down to the next level and crossing to the other side of the bridge. Here they had to wait for a little while, there were guards posted at the door so they had to wait for the right time to dart by. Then it was up to the second level and in a large open window as quietly as possible. Now on their hands and knees the pair scuttled across the floor until Jack halted above a knot in the floorboards. He took out a knife and easily pried the knot out. Bright light shone up through the hole now and they could more clearly hear arguing below. Jack peered in to the hole, but someone with a very large hat was standing right below so there was really nothing to see. But there was plenty to hear as many voices started shouting all at once. Angry voices soon turned in to angry fists and a brawl erupted amongst the members of the Brethren Court. Now the two youngsters took turns watching this rather entertaining sight through their peephole, laughing at the stupidity.

Suddenly, unbeknownst to the observers, someone pulled a gun and shot it in to the ceiling. It came up through the boards behind Josey, causing her to jump and give a squeal. Jack immediately grabbed her around the face, but it was too late. There was silence below for a long while before the door to their right was kicked open, the person having apparently silently snuck up the stairs. And when they saw who it was, they were not surprised.

Josey tried to call to him, but Jack's hand still firmly pressed against her mouth. The man at the door just shook his head. "I told the captain it was foolish to leave you too alone."

"It was her fault Bill!" Jack whispered angrily, wincing when an offended Josey smacked his shoulder. "Ow! Well it was your fault, if you hadn't gone to see that fortune teller we wouldn't be in this position." She looked away, slightly ashamed.

"Well you might as well come downstairs now. No point in you bein' in harm's way, what with all the guns down there."

Jack let go of his young friend and scrambled eagerly to his feet. Josey followed, but as she started to walk by her father he grabbed the collar of her vest and held her back. "You're to behave yourself down there, comprende?"(Understand?)

After a slight hesitation she nodded. "Si Papa." But apparently he didn't believe her words because he kept his hold on her all the way down to the meeting room. Once inside, he handed her off to Jack again, but sent them both a warning glance. Any more mischief and there would be dire consequences.

Looking around the room Josey realized she had met more than half of these pirates while traveling with Captain Teague. One she recognized from years before, she'd met him when her mother was still alive. And then there was the fortuneteller. She was tied up now, and struggling, fear and anger very obvious in her features. Only when someone said "Calypso" did the little girl understand. This woman was the reason they had come to this place.

Some sort of chant was going around the table of pirate lords, and it was making Calypso shake violently. Josey didn't want to take her eyes off of the excitement, but at the same time she was starting to fear whatever might be happening. She hugged Jack's arm and pressed her head to him as she anxiously gazed around the room. It was quiet now, and everyone looked to be waiting for something. They were all stunned by a burst of hurricane force wind that blew out all the doors and windows, accompanied by an inhuman wail from Calypso.

By the time everyone else stood up and brushed themselves off the poor woman was on her knees weeping. It was Captain Teague who spoke up first, and his words were the most emotionless Jack and Josey had heard from him in a long time. "Your power to transform has abandoned you Calypso. You are free to do as you wish, but you must remain in human form until the Brethren Court sees fit to release you."

Someone untied her bonds and she rose to her feet, trying to salvage as much pride as she could. Taking a deep breath she held her head high, looked once around the room, and walked out over a door that had been blown from its hinges.

Josey ran after her knowing Jack would in turn be running after her, and possibly her father as well. But she had to speak to this woman, to understand what had just happened.

"Senora!" she called out, and Calypso half-turned to look back at the girl.

"Josephina," she said with a sad smile.

For a moment the girl forgot why she had called out, caught up in the excitement of having her name known. Before she could snap out of it, the woman walked over and laid a hand on her head.

"You will understand when you are older, little one. And we will meet again. Go back inside now, your Jack is looking for you."

Josey turned to see if that was the truth, and saw that Jack was indeed standing in the doorway waiting for her. She walked to him, stopping once to glance back at the strange woman. They nodded to one another and turned their separate ways.

Jack gripped the little girl's sleeve and practically dragged her back inside. There was chaos in the meeting room again.

...

"Enough!" came the great bellow from the man at the head of the table. Jack and Josey both cringed. They knew that sound better than any of the others in the room. Teague glared around the table until everyone had settled back to their places. "Since there is no hope of any of you volunteering to give up your ship for the job," he glared again, "I, Captain Jack Teague volunteer to be keeper of the Pirate Codex set forth by Morgan and Bartholamew for the next 30 years."

Everyone's jaw dropped. Teague was giving up pirating? Jack and Josey looked at each other for an answer to the question that was on both of their minds. What was going to happen to them now? Josey's head shook slowly in anticipation of any of the options she could think of. The meeting finished up and everyone else was preparing to leave. Arrangements were made for the current keeper of the code to take Teague's place as captain and supplies were sent for. Only after all of this did Captain Teague come over to face his son and the young cabin girl. It was Josey that he addressed first.

"You have yer choice girl. You can stay here with me here, help me protect the code and all that it stands for. That's your first option. Or, you can stay with your father on the ship, becoming a pirate yourself."

Her lip quivered and her eyes were wet. This choice was too hard. Her father stepped up behind the captain and decided to voice his opinion. "I'd rather she stayed here, Captain."

Before the commanding officer could respond Jack also butted in. "And what about me?"

Teague couldn't help but smile. "Do you really think you could stand being on dry land for 30 years boy?"

Jack hung his head, knowing he most certainly could not. He hated to abandon his father, but he was a pirate at heart. The sea was his home and he could not leave it. In a rare act of maturity he held out his hand to his father. "It was an honor serving under you sir."

The captain took his son's hand, but also patted his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him.

Josey watched this with tears streaming down her cheeks. Now she knew what she had to choose. Scrubbing the moisture from her cheeks she looked up at the three men she loved, and then down at her new boots before muttering "I choose to be una pirata."

"Josey, no!" her father scolded.

"You shouldn't," Jack whispered. But when she wove her arms around his he did not complain.

Teague nodded and smiled. "I wish you luck Lass. Maybe someday you'll have your own ship and crew to show off to me."

She nodded sadly without looking up at him.

"Jack, take care of her."

"Aye Captain."

Bootstrap was still shaking his head at the decision to let the girl stay on the crew.


	4. Trouble Upon the Seas

_**Disclaimer: If I owned pirates I would not be writing fan fiction... don't sue me, I have no money anyway**_

_**Author's Note: Not very long, but to the point. The next chapter is done, so it will be up soon, but for now I torture you with a cliff-hanger, mwahaha**_

A ship on the horizon. The young Jack Sparrow prepared his gun as they neared their enemy. At the age of 20 he was a strapping fellow, quite accustomed to the jeers of his elders around women. But it was not the whores who held his heart, though they held the souls of so many other pirates. His one human love was the 15-year-old girl standing at his side. She had grown into quite a lady, and she'd even begun to wear a corset under her shirt and pants. Her father always made certain she had proper clothing, a sad attempt to turn her into a woman of class. Today she had black pants and a black corset tied together with a gold sash that matched her shirt. Her knee length jacket was black as well, with gold trim. She might have looked half civilized, had she worn boots. Her bare ankles jingled with jewels from past raids. Her long hair was braided down her back, though a few strands escaped. Her full lips might have been too much to resist had her father not been nearby.

The ship was nearer now. It appeared to be a merchant ship. The red wood it was made of was brightened in the sun. The order was given quietly to load and ready starboard cannons.

Josey placed the dagger she'd just sharpened in the strap on her thigh. She had become quite handy with weapons as an apprentice of Jack, though her father could not have been more displeased. She was to become a lady of society later in life and never need to protect herself. For now however she chose to stay by her friend's side, ready to do as much damage as possible without killing her enemy. Somehow she managed to keep most of her victims alive.

Suddenly she jumped, tense from a touch. A hand rested heavily on her shoulder. Jack glanced over his shoulder with a sneer curling his lip. Behind them was First Mate Barbossa. The cruel man always had his eyes on the girl. Waiting until she was of age to marry was beginning to try his patience.

"You're father asked me to convince you to stay behind," he lied. Jack saw the lust in the man's eyes and tightened his jaw, forcing himself to swallow the anger that building up.

"Someone has to stop tu from murdering everyone, Senor Barbossa." Her Spanish accent was not as thick as it had been, but the words still slipped out at random.

The middle-aged man gave a quick twitchy smirk before leaving to prepare the others. He did not take well to her jokes and Jack knew it would come back to haunt her in the end, but now was not the time for such a discussion.

The first cannon went off, then the next, and then the rest. Soon the men were preparing to board and raid. It was a stampede, chaotic, with no order. There was no way Jack and Josey to stay together safely as of yet. There were too many enemies and not enough room for them to stand back to back with mobility.

And so the pair was uncharacteristically split apart. Josey kept to her part of the plan, making her way to the unknown captain's cabin. A formidable enemy backed her against the door, pressing her sword up over her head, trying to disarm her. Suddenly his back arched and he sunk down paralyzed. In his place stood Jack Sparrow, bloody sword in hand. He remained only long enough to smile encouragingly, and then hurried on.

The door at her back was locked she discovered. Quickly she pulled out her pistol and blasted the handle. The door swung in, and Josey entered the dark, muggy room. Cowering in the corner was who she presumed to be the captain. Slowly she walked toward him, letting him recognize her womanly figure. She had flung the gun aside and sheathed her sword.

The man stood and stepped closer to her. It was dark and she could not see his face. He began to circle her, his hands touching parts of her no one else had been allowed to touch. She flinched a little but would not let herself pull away. It was for the good of the attack, it was necessary.

Suddenly, a loud crack reverberated in the cabin. The young girl's face filled with shock, and then, as that faded, pain. Immense agony filled her body and she struggled to face her attacker. It was not until that moment she realized who she had been seducing. Her voice was less than a whisper as she spoke his name, but he struck her face with the smoking gun. She was flung across the room; both her side and face continued bleeding. Her head hit the desk, leaving her unconscious and the man's identity safe for the moment.

...

The aftermath was always Jack's least favorite part of a fight. Blood and bodies everywhere... a sight, smell and silence that sometimes gave him nightmares.

He looked for Josey, hoping to find some comfort in her gaze. He had not seen her since they had parted at the beginning of the battle. He needed her there in order to cope with this. He glanced quickly through the crowd, and then back again. She wasn't there.

"Bill," he called to his friend, "Where's Josey?"

The older man glanced around frantically before they both heard a chuckle. Barbossa shook his head at the men as he walked toward them.

"Good man you are Jack. Make the girl follow you into battle and then forget all about her when she disappears."

With a glare and a growl Jack suddenly lunged for the first mate, but Bill held him back.

"What did you do to her?" The boy continued to pull away from his friend.

Barbossa looked amused at the accusation. "You can't possibly think I'd do anything to a GIRL!"

Jack backed off, though he was certain it was the mate who was to blame for the girl's disappearance. Without further ado he grabbed a loose rope and swung over to the newly captured ship.

The last time he'd seen the girl was as she entered the captain's cabin. He kicked through the broken door and looked about franticly, though his eyes were ill accustomed to the darkness. Still he saw the limp figure on the floor. Lying on her side, the girl looked to be asleep, but for the small puddle of liquid beneath her.

"Josey!" Jack rushed to her, laying a hand on her side to turn her over. To his surprise she cried out in pain at his touch. Lifting his hand he found it bloody, though not greatly so. Where his hand had been there was a bullet wound. The shot was far enough to the side that it had caught only skin, but Jack knew from his years aboard pirate ships that any wound could be deadly.

"No," he whispered as he slowly he moved closer to her face. That too dripped with blood. There was a gash along her cheekbone, and though it did not appear too deep it had hardly begun to scab over.

The girl's eyes were hazy with pain and loss of blood. Jack wiped his hand on his pants before laying it on her head. He lifted her head up, though again she hissed in agony.

She choked out his name, and he tried to lift her to her feet. She resisted with a whimper as the pain increased, but he continued to move her. Eventually he got her up, desperate to get her some help. Cradling her in his arms he moved as quickly as he could out of the cabin. Bill met them at the end of a plank set between the ships. The man desperately wanted a look at his injured daughter, but Jack was in too much of a hurry to get her help. He hurried across the plank and down to the room the "doctor" used for surgeries. He shoved numerous other pirates out of the way in order to lay her on the table. As he stepped back he didn't quite know what to do. The doctor had come over to assess the wounds. Bill stood by his young friend, a hand on his shoulder, as they anxiously awaited the verdict.

"She seems to have lost a lot of blood lads," the man said. "I can sew her up, but that leaves a lot for her to do afterwards."

"Then you do your bit," Bill growled, "so she can get to hers."


	5. Finding a Way

_**Disclaimer: If I owned Pirates I would not be writing fan fiction... don't sue me, I have no money anyway...**_

_**Author's Note: Mwahaha, another tad bit of a cliff hanger for ya'll... hope you enjoy it, and reviews are always nice...**_

Bill insisted on caring for the girl himself, but he could not completely keep Jack away. While the young man respected his friend's wishes and turned his back while dear Josephine's shirt was lifted, he left the room only when necessary. They were nearing Tortuga now, arriving any day. Part of Jack was naïve enough to think that getting her there would mean saving her life. But the pirate in him knew that no doctor in Tortuga could do more than the ship's surgeon. They needed either someone more skilled, or with the help of a higher power.

Bill was on his watch now, and Jack sat by Josey's hammock trying very hard not to fall asleep. He hadn't gotten a decent night worth of sleep since she'd been hurt. He couldn't bear the thought of being asleep if she were to wake, if she were to need him. She'd slipped into unconciousness soon after her wounds had been sewn up and she had yet to come back to them. There seemed to be less and less hope for her survival.

If only he had made her stay with Teague. She would have been safe in the fortress for years and years. And why had he let her go off on her own during the battle? He was such a fool. Her father had been right all along, why did he not listen? A pirate ship was no place for a young woman.

Suddenly a small moan came from the hammock. Jolted fully awake now, Jack jumped to his feet so quickly he tripped and nearly dumped her from the hammock. She cried out in pain, but reached out to help steady him anyway. "I'm sorry," he said, laying his hand on her shoulder. "You're awake!" he stated dumbly. It made her smile if nothing else. "Are you, I mean... how do you feel?"

"Horible," she croaked out.

Jack had guessed this before she answered. She was wincing with every breath and she looked exhausted despite having spent 3 days lying in her hammock. "You'll be alright," he tried to assure her. That too brought a smile to her face. She wanted it to be true as much as he did. He was feeling very helpless at the moment and he couldn't take it any more. "I don't know what to do Josey. They keep saying there's nothing more we can do for you, but that can't be true. There is always something more. Always..." Ashamed of his outburst he looked away, but only until his young friend's weak fingers gripped his shirt. He let his hand cover hers, noticing its slight quiver. She had that look in her eyes... a hidden fear that no one else could recognize. She knew what was in store for her if they could find no one to help. Jack shook his head. "No... No I won't let that happen. We'll find some way."

He could tell that she did not believe him. She did not have the strength for hope. But he could not give up on her.

"You need rest," he told her. "Everything will be fine. Es una promesa mi amiga." (It's a promise my friend) He had not stroked her hair but 3 or 4 times before her eyes closed in sleep.

A bell tolled on deck, change of shifts. Reluctantly Jack turned away from his young friend only to find himself face to face with her father.

"Jack, you can't talk to her like that. She needs to be ready if..." Even the tough old pirate couldn't bring himself to say the words.

"We'll find a way." The young man stubbornly repeated as he tried to walk past his friend. He was supposed to be up on deck now and there were plenty of crewmembers who wouldn't think twice about ratting him out. But Bill grabbed him by the shirt and held him back.

"Get a hold of yourself boy. It would take some sort of magic to save her now."

Though the words were meant to be discouraging, they had quite the reversed effect. "Magic?... That's it! Calypso! Calypso will help her. She seemed to really like her, if we can find her again..."

"Calypso's been in hiding for 7 years Jack. Even if she would heal Josey, we've no way of finding her or getting to her in time."

The younger man pulled himself away from his pessimistic friend's grip and pointed at him accusingly. "I will find a way."

...

As a younger member of the crew Jack was forced to stay behind the first day in Tortuga to help with the loading and unloading of cargo. But as the sun began to sink he snuck down and into the crowded streets. He began asking anyone who looked sane if they knew where he might find a woman fitting Calypso's description. After the tenth wrong match he was finally beginning to lose hope in his plan. Maybe it really was too much of a stretch.

Ducking behind a well, the young man watched some of his crewmates push their way into a tavern. What he wouldn't give for this night be just like all the others. Joining his friends for a drink or two before sneaking some back to the ship for Josey. She wouldn't need anything to drink tonight, they'd kept her quite pickled in an attempt to dull the pain (not that much of what she ate or drank was staying down lately. She really was quite ill now.)

All this thinking was depressing him. He came out from hiding and asked a few more people if they knew where he could find Calypso. As a man walked away from him shaking his head, a young woman pulled at his sleeve.

"I might be knowin' who you're looking for."

Jack anxiously gripped her shoulders and urged her to tell him anything.

"They say a woman like that lives in the swamps of a land two days northeast of here. Goes by the name of Tia Dalma, or something like that. She's a witch of sorts... all sorts of stories about her floatin' around Tortuga."

"Thank you!" Jack overzealously kissed the girl and began running toward the docks. He was sure he could find some smaller vessel to take them to the swampland. He'd do whatever he had to in order to get passage.

He found the perfect vessel docked not far from the Pearl. He blurted out his story and his plan to the owner of the vessel and waited impatiently for a reply. He could tell that he had spoken too quickly for this stranger to understand but his desperation must have gotten the point across anyway.

"Alright lad, I think we can make a deal."

He wanted to hug this new captain so badly that he actually had to try to restrain himself. "Thank you sir. I promise you I can pull my weight and hers."

He received a pat on the shoulder. "I believe you can. We'll leave in the morning then?"

"Aye, Captain." He was about to run off again, but paused a moment. "Uh.. Captain?"

"Yes lad?"

"Would it be too much of a problem to bring one more man along?"

"If he can work, he can come," The captain offered.

Jack nodded and then began his sprint to the Pearl. He skidded to a halt in the doorway of the infirmary, nearly running in to Bill. The older man was about to reprimand his young friend for leaving the ship and wandering off, but Jack's lips moved faster.

"I found a way!"

Bootstrap was taken aback. "What?"

"I found a way. I found passage for the three of us to see Calypso..er, Tia Dalma now I guess.. but either way, I've done it."

"Jack, we've already got a ship to crew. We can't just leave."

"Would you rather sit down here and watch your daughter die?" the young man yelled his question and he could instantly see its effect on his friend. "I'm sorry, that's not... I didn't mean to insult you Bill, but... I can't ... I can't stay."

After a moment of awkward silence between the friends, the old pirate finally nodded. "I'll go speak to the captain. He's a reasonable man, we might get him to wait here for us." Jack's face brightened up immediately and he watched his friend pass by him with more admiration than ever before. Before he started up the steps though the pirate turned back to his young counterpart. "Stay with her Jack. Don't leave the ship."

The command was stern, and Jack swallowed the lump of fear in his throat before nodding his compliance. "Aye sir."


	6. Saved

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Pirates... dang it... Anyway, don't sue me, this is just for fun... And I'm broke... **

**Author's Note: I AM SO SORRY! I totally lost track of this fic for ages, and I can't promise very many updates very fast, but I will keep working on it. Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy this one.**

Josey moaned from the stretcher that lay in the dingy floating up the murky river. There was a cabin up ahead, brightly lit against the darkness of the heavily forested swamp. Before the boat was even tied to the building Jack had lept up on to the deck.

"Tia Dalma?" he yelled so loudly that he heard his voice echo back a few times. The familiar dreadlocked woman appeared in the doorway and gave one of her creepy smiles, but it made even less of an impact on Jack than it had so many years before. "We need your help," he blurted out, and then pointed down at the dingy. As the sea-goddess noticed the injured girl her face became very grave.

"Bring her inside."

Jack instantly bent down to snatch up his end of the stretcher, sliding it up so his friend could also climb up on to the deck. But Jack was too impatient to wait. He picked the injured girl up in his arms and carried her in to the cabin himself. He laid her where directed. The goddess began some sort of incantation as she wandered around the overcrowded place collecting objects. When she entered the little side room it left no place for Jack. He was forced in to the main part of the house, and had no way of seeing what was happening. It had once again been taken out of his hands.

...

Josey cringed, first at the strange smells that filled her nostrils, and then at the light that met her eyes. She groaned and shifted before she felt a hand on her face. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the flickering candles surrounding her and she could see her friend hovering above her.

"I told you I'd find a way." He smiled.

Only then did she realize she was no longer in pain. She sat up suddenly, almost knocking heads with Jack. He stopped her though and tried to get her to lay back down. "Donde estamos?" (Where are we?)

"In a swamp, up a river. We found Calypso... only she's Tia Dalma now."

"Calypso!"

Jack shushed her. "I'm not supposed to be in here, your father told me not to bother you. As soon as you are well we are to meet back up with the crew in Tortuga. I just... thought you should know that." He was about to step away but she again gripped tightly to his shirt, this time keeping his face very close.

"Tu saved me..."

"I... well..." In reality it was his determination that had gotten her saved, but he still felt like he'd been useless. He sat on the edge of her bed, suddenly more willing to risk getting caught. "It was my fault, I shouldn't have left you... and anyway, I'm not so certain I could go on without you." He expected her to roll her eyes at his exaggeration but he received a much more serious look.

"Es not your fault Jack."

She looked so much like she wanted to say more that he didn't feel bad prying. "Do you know who did this to you?" She looked around cautiously, but he reassured her that they were alone but for perhaps Bill and Calypso.

She looked directly in to his eyes for the first time that night and whispered "Barbossa."

"I knew it!" Jack covered his mouth for a second after practically shouting. "When I get my hands on him he'll regret being born."

But Josey shook her head. "Es too dangerous."

"I won't just let him get away with it!"

Again she shook her head, but this time there was a hint of a smile on her face. Her hand, which had never left his shirt, pulled him closer and she pressed her lips to his. His hand found her face again and the kiss deepened for a moment before he panicked and pulled away. Glancing over his shoulder (just to make sure his friend wasn't going to murder him yet) he then shook his head.

"I can't... I mean... Your father will kill me."

She nodded as if she agreed, but she did not release him from her grip.

"Josey..." he gulped, trying to make his throat work properly, but it refused his request. He found his fingers tracing the new scar on her cheek until he could no longer hold back. He desperately pulled her lips to his own and zealously explored her mouth in a long, passionate kiss. The situation was not helped by the fact that the young girl was naked beneath her thin blankets. Only when Jack was about to crawl up on to the bed was he able to snap out of his lustful trance and break the kiss. Josey lay beneath him with her arms wrapped around his back, eyes closed and panting. Planting a quick kiss on her moistened lips he whispered sincerely, "I love you, Josey Turner."

She calmed herself with a deep, slow breath and nodded. "Te amo tambien, mi amigo." Her hands moved to the sides of his face and she pulled him in for another, gentler kiss before pushing him back. "Vaya (go)... go before mi padre sees you."


End file.
